Ilhan Omar challenger could get arrested if she campaigns in her Minnesota district

A Republican candidate hoping to defeat U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., in the race for her congressional seat has a warrant out for her arrest, media outlets report.

Danielle Stella, 31, was charged with theft twice in 2019 for allegedly stealing items from Target worth more than $2,300, according to Quartz. She failed to appear in court on April 4, the outlet reported. An arrest warrant was issued when Stella was allegedly caught again stealing from a grocery store, according to media reports.

The special education teacher described Minneapolis as “the crime capital of our country,” The Guardian reports. She also said police were “overworked and overburdened.”

Stella told The Guardian: “I am not guilty of these crimes. In this country I am innocent until proven guilty and that is the law.”

“If I was guilty of crimes, I would never run for public office, putting myself in the public eye under a microscope to be attacked by all political sides,” she continued.

Stella didn’t show up for court hearings in October and a judge issued an outstanding arrest warrant, The Daily Beast reported.

“We can confirm that she does have an active felony theft warrant in Hennepin County,” a Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson told the outlet.

Omar made history as the first Somali-American elected to Congress, The Associated Press reported. The Democrat defeated Republican Jennifer Zielinski in 2018 to represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.

Stella has been extremely critical of Omar and in November suggested the congresswoman should be “hanged” for treason, according to media reports. Twitter permanently suspended Stella after her tweet.